The time my Dad spent in the Navy had a major influence on him, understandably. I grew up listening to a lot of stories, all of the inside shit, like what the boys would do with their spare time and money, for example. I couldn't help but grow to be intrigued by the allure of it all, soldiers are heavy fucking people. A friend of mine from junior high totally changed his shit around after high school and joined the Army, and he became like one of the most intense dudes ever. He wants to be a lifer and no longer knows the world outside of wherever he's stationed. I've hypothetically thought about it before, more for disciplinary reasons, but I couldn't hack it for two seconds. I so often imagine what the women in the army are like - you want to picture them all being total babes kicking ass and crushing beers in cutoff khaki shirts. These photos are by Rachel Papo, they document the lives of eighteen year-old female Israeli soldiers 'plucked from their lives' and individuality for two years to train in the military. She has mixed feelings about the necessity to serve, seeing as she was once in the same position as her subjects. She believes that at their age, they should be discovering themselves without boundaries. While I agree, the conditions they live, work, and learn in would definitely prove to be a test of their character. I find the photos beautifully raw, the girls stay feminine and display that hopefully-upbeat vibe that females seem to have even in the worst of times.



Girls with guns are fucking fine...